Watercolor Painting

1
Watercolor Painting

• Watercolor is a painting method using paint
  made of colorants suspended or dissolved in
  water. Although the grounds used in watercolor
  painting vary, the most common is paper.

2
Layering-Superimposed Wash

• This is one of the more important
  techniques in watercolor painting and it takes
  some practice to master the technique. You will
  be painting values of color by layering the same
  color over an already painted surface. You MUST
  allow the proceeding layer to be completely dry
  before applying the second, third, fourth,
  layers.

3
Wax

• Draw an image or design using both a
  light and dark crayon. When the area has dried,
  apply a watercolor wash and note how the two hues
  are affected by the watercolor.

4
Sponging

• Mix a water color and dip a course sponge
  into the paint. Create texture by sponging the
  color in the desired area.

5
Flat Wash

• The technique is used when a surface is to
  have an even (same) color over the surface of the
  paper. Wet the paper with water and load brush
  with water and pigment (color) and flood wet
  surface with one flat color.

6
Acrylic over Watercolor

• Lay down a wash of light colored watercolor
  paint. When completely dried, paint an image or
  design over the wash with acrylic paint. Water
  color is transparent and acrylic paint is opaque.

7
Maskoid

• A technique when you want to preserve
  white or an area or color as you apply new and
  more areas of color. The product used is called
  maskoid. Add some soap to a brush. Paint
  maskoid over the areas you want to stay white.
  Clean the brush!! When maskoid has dried, paint
  a watercolor wash over the maskoid. When paint
  has dried, remove maskoid by rubbing it with your
  finger.

8
Texture with Gesso

• Apply gesso to paper, allow it to dry, then
  paint a colored wash over the top.

9
Scratching

• After watercolor paint is dry, use a scratch
  tool to scratch away the surface creating
  texture.

10
Collage

• Collage materials can be anything that can
  be adhered to the painting surface to create an
  effect. Examples tissue paper, fibers or
  fabrics, buttons, etc. Glue down the material
  using Elmers glue.

11
Wet on Wet

• This technique is one of the most used and
  unique types of water color painting. To do this
  technique, paint your paper surface with water or
  a very light color, when the surface is still
  very wet drop in a brush-full of darker color,
  the surface must be quite wet to get a successful
  blending of the two. Leave it alone or
  manipulate lightly. You can add several colors
  for an even better effect.

12
Dry Brush

• This technique is used to suggest textural
  detail. Add pigment to a dry brush and wipe it
  across paper toweling. Rapidly skimming the
  surface of the paper with the brush putting
  traces of color that creates the effect of
  texture.

13
Splatter

• Load your brush with paint and a little
  water and tap the handle on the handle of another
  brush, allowing a series of spots to appear on
  the paper. This also can be done with a
  toothbrush.

14
Lifting out with Blotter Paper

• Paint the surface of the paper with a strong
  dark color then take a clean, dry brush and
  remove an area of color. Blotting paper can
  also be used. If you are using good quality
  paper this can be repeated.

15
Watercolor Pencil

• Draw or shade with watercolor pencils
  then add water with a brush. Or dip the pencil
  in water and create color. Great for detail and
  texturing.

16
Pen and Ink

• After applying watercolor paint, use a
  black pen or permanent marker to enhance or
  outline the colors after the paint has dried.

17
Graded Wash

• This is most often used when painting a
  sky from dark to light. Load your largest brush
  with water and pigment and without lifting the
  brush paint from top to bottom of paint area with
  out lifting the brush. You can add some clean
  water towards the bottom to lighten the color.

18
Tapeline

• Apply making tape to the watercolor paper
  and burnish the edge. Apply paint next to the
  tape. As soon as it is dry, carefully remove the
  tape.

19
Enhanced

• Apply paints using the wet on wet
  technique. After it is dried, enhance the color
  with ink, colored pencil, pastel, or any type of
  drawing tool.

20
Corn Starch

• To achieve a cloudy texture, paint a darker
  color and sprinkle corn starch onto paint while
  it is wet. Brush off when dry.

21
Rock Salt

• To achieve a course texture, paint a darker
  color and sprinkle rock salt directly onto paint
  while it is wet. Brush off when dry.